Help: Is the crab a forbidden motif of art in Australia?

Pictures of crabs don't have any negative connotations in Australia.

However they aren't considered particularly attractive either.

We like to eat them (see 'Mud crab in champagne sauce')

The word 'crab' is also slang for pubic lice.

I hate souveneirs so I wouldn't even walk into the shop.

Crabs aren't uniquely associated with China so perhaps customers would prefer something more 'chinese-looking'. Pagodas, pandas, junks, dragons, tanks etc.

thank you hinge head
thank you for the info and advice, hingehead. My friend does have some pottery sampans for sale. tan...good idea, tho they obviously take a bit too much craftsmanship.

I see your friend's problem. Maybe even some nice calligraphy would go sell OK (particularly if the translation of the writing was on the bottom of the piece) I could see some of my countrymen buying an elegant looking piece with something rude, lewd, crude or just plain funny or ridiculous in another language written on it. Oh well, good luck.

And welcome to A2K.

thanks for the calligraphy idea
Just noticed the thread's been marked featured…thank you moderator.

Thanks for the calligraphy idea, hingehead. Some stores are already doing it here. They would have some Chinese characters written on scrolls?-usually those expressing good wishes or sharing life wisdom by eastern philosophy, and then clip the strips of paper bearing the English translations to the bottoms of the works. The translations often fail to precisely match the Chinese sources but they sell good anyway.

A little cultural note to make the thread better live up to the featured status:

The crab in China is often a symbol of order-breakers and bullies, apparently because the creature's unique sideway walking style and powerful pincers tend to lead people think it's a strong-armer in the animal world who would push other walkers out of their way and hog the road. Thus the image of a steamed crab, with its body and legs all red and the pincers draped loose, symbolizes the bully who finally meets with what he deserves. Otherwise the crab has no negative connotations in China. It's sometimes also a motif of art, especially in traditional watercolor paintings depicting idyllic rural pond scene, along with other small water animals and plants. Its image is also commonly seen at sea resorts and on the billboards of seafood restaurants.


watercolor crabs by a 6-year-old kid

I just realised that calling someone here a crab or describing them as crabby means they are bad tempered or grumpy/joyless.

The bully stuff is interesting (especially as bully obviously means 'like a bull'). Etymology gives me a headache.

If I had to pick a region of the world that crabs are associated with I'd almost certainly pick the east coast of the US.

Etymology of "Bully":



http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bully